Melissa slows down Kremi, but not for long, says CEO
Published:Friday | November 7, 2025 | 12:08 AM
Caribbean Cream Limited’s Montego Bay depot sustained damage during Hurricane Melissa, but the company expects to be back to normal before the busy holiday season.
The ice cream company, which trades as Kremi, is already grappling with losses, which amounted to $9.4 million after tax credits at half-year, a sharp decline from net profit of $33.9 million for the corresponding March-August period in 2024. The damage from the storm may exacerbate its position.
CEO Christopher Clarke said the company was still calculating the losses from the damaged plant in Montego Bay plant, as well as independent depots in western Jamaica.
Melissa hit Jamaica at Category 5 strength on October 28.
“The company’s assets came through the hurricane okay with a few notable exceptions. A few of our depots are without the electricity but running on backup. The Montego Bay depot was the worst hit,” Clarke said at the company’s annual general meeting on Monday.
Pictures of the Montego Bay depot displayed at the meeting show that the roof was blown off.
“The roof took several electrical components with it, so substantial repairs will be needed. However, backup power is available on site,” Clarke said.
He added that the damage would only slow down the company in the short run, and that should be back to normal before the holiday season.
“I don’t expect sales to rebound right away”, but “Christmas is going to be Christmas, and I expect us to still celebrate it the normal way we always do. Ice cream is always a big part of that,” he said.
Revenue for the six months ending August climbed to $1.62 billion from $1.49 billion for the corresponding period in 2024.
It is expected that revenue will surpass $3 billion for the year ending February 2026.
Chairman Dr Matthew Clarke said the company was able to introduce new machinery and shift systems to achieve increased production levels and significantly improved key manufacturing and sales metrics.
CEO Clarke also reported that company went from two shifts per day, six days a week, to three shifts per day, five days a week, which “increased productive hours by 35 per cent”.
Caribbean Cream is expected to commission its new well this month to supply its manufacturing operation in Kingston.
“The benefits to our company are enormous,” said the CEO. “Securing a stable water source will not only reduce input costs but also ensure continued production,” he added.
He said the company’s water bill ranges between $1 million and $1.5 million per month, not including transportation costs during the dry months. Clarke declined to say how much the company would save from the introduction of the well.